Travelling with Carbon float arms

[Kamran Shaikh]

I have recently bought carbon float arms for my underwater camera rig for better Buoyancy of video lights. I am wondering if i can travel with them and take it on flight.

Concern is their hollow cylider shape as airline or security may consider them harmful.

Please suggest should i put in my camera bag which i take as carry on or should i keep them in check in luggage.

 

[CanadaDan]

I’ve had my carbon fibre float arms in carry on multiple times with not even a second glance during inspection.

My camera trim weights cause WAY more problems. They now get taken out of the bag and put in the X-ray tray separately so they can see what they are.

I carry on as much of the camera gear as I can for mainly security reasons... too much $$$ to put in my checked bags.

 

[Kamran Shaikh]

I’ve had my carbon fibre float arms in carry on multiple times with not even a second glance during inspection.

My camera trim weights cause WAY more problems. They now get taken out of the bag and put in the X-ray tray separately so they can see what they are.

I carry on as much of the camera gear as I can for mainly security reasons... too much $$$ to put in my checked bags.

Thanks alot CanadaDan for your reply. Please suggest the length of your carbon float arms. Also suggest if you are carrying arm-tray and ball-clamps along with other camera gear in carry on.

 

[CanadaDan]

Thanks alot CanadaDan for your reply. Please suggest the length of your carbon float arms. Also suggest if you are carrying arm-tray and ball-clamps along with other camera gear in carry on.

Here’s my full rig with the 6” dome. Arms are about 8” long. Tether gets unclipped in one side during the dive to allow for extension of the arms but clipped back for lifting.

 

[CanadaDan]

Sorry... missed the rest of your question.

here’s the entire rig in a carryon. Clamps, arms, dome, housing, camera, strobes... everything. Even my prescription mask all in a full size carryon. Keep in mind the airlines I fly don’t weigh the carryon... this is about 25kg. Beauty of it being in the carryon is I can pack minimally because I’m the one handling the bag.

 

[Kamran Shaikh]

Here’s my full rig with the 6” dome. Arms are about 8” long. Tether gets unclipped in one side during the dive to allow for extension of the arms but clipped back for lifting.

View attachment 574258

Amazing setup

 

[stuartv]

My camera rig looks very similar to @CanadaDan's.

I pack my CF arms in my checked bag. They are light but bulky. I put my heavy/dense stuff in my carry-on, to try and keep the weight of my checked bag under 50#/23kg. Also, my camera rig is a Full Frame setup, so it takes a lot of room in my carry-on just for the housing with camera, lens, port, dome, etc.. With that much of my camera rig, my dive computers, my bail out/deco regs (which are also heavy), and my laptop in my carry-on, there really isn't room even for just 2 CF float arms.

 

[Nemrod]

I just got CF arms, but, nonetheless, I have always carried my strobe arms in my checked bag. And until now, also the tray. My new Nauticam NA-6400 rig has integrated handles so they will stay on the housing fully assembled. So, my housing, strobes, WWL WA lens, CMC Macro lens, supplies and sundries (cables, O-rings, spares, grease), port and lens adapters go in the Pelican 1535. Loaded it weighs 21 pounds. The camera itself and lenses, MacBook, my irreplaceable Argonaut Kraken regulator, dive computers go in my backpack and the strobe arms go in my checked luggage.

The only things here that do not go in the Pelican 1535 carryon are the arms/clamps:

James